Glance around France: Halloween 'damage control' in Brittany and more storms in the south

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In today's round-up of news stories from around France we look at how one Breton department is taking precautions against some ghoulish Halloween antics, southern France braces itself for yet more storms and the pickpockets who made off with a small fortune (but not for long).

Pickpockets steal €7,000 from Japanese tourists outside Paris

Four pickpockets managed to get their hands on what was probably the haul of their lives (albeit briefly) when they stole a whopping €7,000 from Japanese tourists in the department of Yvelines to the west of Paris.

The incident took place at around midnight in the town of Velizy on Tuesday, with the thieves quickly fleeing from the scene leaving the victims stunned, according to reports in the French press.

However it seems the tourists quickly came to their senses, filing a detailed report with the police that led to the pickpockets being quickly arrested and some of the money being found just a couple of hours later.

Sale of alcohol, fuel and fireworks banned in parts of Brittany... all because of Halloween

Local authorities in one Breton department have taken some serious precautions this Halloween.

The capital of Brittany Rennes, and the department in which it sits Ille-et-Vilaine, has banned the sale of alcohol, fuel and fireworks as a result of the overenthusiastic Halloween celebrations seen in 2016 and 2017.

So much damage was caused during in those years by "bands of young people", including cars being set on fire and bus shelters being destroyed, that the authorities have issued the public order in a bid to stop the same thing happening again.

The order will be in place across the while of the department from Halloween itself, October 31st, and November 2nd.